Merome VS Lerome
by JinxedJaguar
Summary: [Based off the Instagram photo on Jerome's page] Jerome has Louise and is happy. Is there any reason why Mitch should ruin that? [If you want me to make this a story, msg me]
1. Chapter 1

"I have an idea! We should do Merome versus Lerome! Fandom versus real life!" Jerome shouted out of nowhere. I laughed.

"Do you really expect us to fight each other?" I asked.

"Not that way! I mean like a picture where you two are pretending to fight over me!" he explained. Louise just rolled her eyes.

"You come up with the weirdest ideas at the random-est of times," she said. "But that's just another thing to add onto the list of things I love about you." I rolled my eyes (inwardly) at the last part.

Jerome had me grab his right arm and Louise grab his left arm. Then we sat his phone onto a tripod and snapped a picture. He posted it on Instagram, hashtags and all.

"Geez, Jerome. Why do you do this to our fans? Now you're going to have to expect fanfiction about this," I joked. We always joked about Merome, even though it'll never become real. The thought slightly dulled my happy expression.

"Don't worry, Benja, no one could ever separate Merome," Jerome joked back, hugging me. The three of us laughed, but on the inside my heart ached.

"I wish that were true," I mumbled.

"What did you say?" Jerome asked.

"Uh… Nothing," I quickly stuttered. He just shrugged, grabbed Louise's hand, and dragged her to the couch. I ran upstairs to the guest bedroom, where I was staying.

To be honest, I was envious of Louise. She got to live with Jerome, spend countless hours with Jerome, make Jerome happy. I repeated those words bitterly in my head, _make Jerome happy._

That was something I could never do. I've always screwed up everything; I've always broken everything I touched. And he's straight. I would just scare him if I confessed. To find out that his best friend loves him and doesn't like his girlfriend….

But I do like Louise. I have nothing against her. She has a lot going for her. She's pretty, smart, and polite. She doesn't threaten me even though I can tell that she senses a weird vibe coming off me. She just had everything I dreamed of: Jerome. That's when my eyes sprung a leak.

Telling Jerome would make me feel better about keeping secrets, but our friendship would be ruined and possibly even his and Louise's relationship. Not telling Jerome would leave a very broken Benja and a happy Jerome. That's what I always told myself when I thought about him, what would happen for each choice. And each time I'd choose the latter. But this time I had second thoughts.

_Honesty is the best policy. _But I'm not lying about anything. _Keeping this from him is just as bad. He has the right to know. _Since when? _Since he became your best friend. _But he won't be happy if I tell. _And you won't id _you_ don't. _

"Hey, Mitch?" Jerome's voice called, snapping me out of my thoughts. I wiped the tears off of my face.

"Uh, yes?" I answered. Jerome slowly opened the door.

"You okay? I heard a very faint sniffling from downstairs," he said, sitting at the foot of my bed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied. "Why don't you go back downstairs and finish your movie with Louise?"

"You're my best friend. I was worried that something had happened," he responded. The he looked straight into my eyes. His eyes widened and he grabbed the sides of my face, inspecting it. "You were crying," he said.

"N-no I wasn't," I stuttered, moving his hands away from my face.

"Don't lie to me, Biggums," he said. His tone was a bit more intense than it normally was.

I sighed. "Fine. I… I'm in love with this… th-this girl," I started. Maybe he'll get a clue and tell that I'm only telling half-truths.

"Ooo, my little Mitchy is growing up!" Jerome interrupted, a grin growing on his face. I just blinked and he seemed to get the message. "Okay, sorry. Continue."

"Anyway, this g-girl I like is madly in love with someone. Someone that isn't me. And it hurts, Jerome, it hurts. It hurts like hell," I said. I pulled my knees up to my chest and the water works started flowing again. He pulled me into a hug.

"That sucks. Love can hurt," he said. He didn't get the message, but it felt like he was comforting me as if he knew what was going on although he really didn't.

"Jerome! This is the best part!" Louise called from downstairs. Jerome gave me a small smile and stood up. I didn't want him to leave, but I didn't say anything.

"I love you, Jerome."

"Love ya too, Biggums."

But never, in a billion years, would he ever mean it in the same way I do.


	2. Chapter 2

I felt so empty. I still had a week left at Jerome's place and I can barely stand it. I honestly can't blame him, but he was always with Louise. They were so… devoted to each other.

It was the night after the IG picture. I couldn't sleep. Jerome and Louise were downstairs watching movies and all I could hear was them either laughing. I felt like I was missing out on so much, but I couldn't get in between the two of them. I just couldn't. He's happy with her.

* * *

I fell asleep sometime through the night because I woke up with faint sunlight shining in my face. There was a clock on a table next to me, so I sat up and squinted to see the time. It was only 5:45. From what I could hear, no one else was awake, so I snuck downstairs into the kitchen. Gotta have me my cereal, right? Heartbreak wouldn't hold me back from my food.

When I got downstairs, I found someone else already in the kitchen. Jerome was sitting at the table with an empty bowl in front of him while he scrolled through his phone. I just grabbed a bowl, cereal, and milk, waiting for him to say something first. After I sat down in front of him and started eating, he heard me.

"Hey, Biggums," Jerome said.

"Morning," I responded. He hesitated before he answered.

"You know how you told me about you liking a girl who already likes someone else? Was that girl… um, Louise?" I stayed silence in shock –I couldn't believe that he thought that I actually liked her that way! "I mean, you started acting all weird when you got here and it kinda seemed to fit…"

"No! I don't like Louise! No offense, but she isn't really… my type." My type as in not a man.

"Oh…" Jerome was embarrassed. "Then is the girl you like Ashley?" Ew. No. Ashley was a great friend, but Mashley? No, just no. And I guess he saw my disgusted expression because he laughed. "Not Ashley then." We both laughed before he continued. "If it's not them, then who is it?"

I froze. I had no backup plan. I obviously couldn't tell Jerome that it was him, yet at the same time I couldn't lie to him. So I did the one thing I'm good at –telling half of the truth. Not necessarily half-truths, but just give a very vague answer.

"Um… I… You won't like my answer. It's not Louise, I swear on my life, but it's not… yeah," I answered. He was about to press on, but Louise entered the kitchen.

"I heard my name?" Louise said.

"Hey, babe," Jerome said, completely forgetting and disregarding my presence.

"Morning, Jerome. What are you doing up at 6? It's a weekend, and you don't usually wake up until at least 8," Louise said. I was jealous that Louise knew Jerome's sleeping schedule. Wait, that sounded super creepy.

"Oh, yeah. Adam kept texting me at 2 and when he finally stopped I couldn't fall back asleep," Jerome answered. Yup, that was our Adam. I still can't believe that Adam used up all of Tyler's phone minutes.

"Geez. I never understood how he can be so energetic so late into the night," she responded.

And their conversation went on. I stayed silent as they talked to each other while I finished my cereal. And the rest of the cereal in the box, but same difference.

"Mitch?" Louise asked. I jumped slightly.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Uh… Jerome said you were crying last night. I just wanted to know what was up," she hesitantly said. There was another reason that she was so much better than me. She thinks before she does. She hesitated because she didn't want to seem like she was trying to get into my business, but she decided to ask in the end because she was genuinely concerned. Oh look, I stated _another_ reason why Jerome deserves her more than me.

"It was nothing. It's all-" I started.

"He's having girl problems, Louise. Since you're a girl and an expert, would you give Mitch some advice?" Jerome interrupted.

"Just because I'm a girl you think I'm a love expert?" Louise asked, pretending to look offended. Jerome shrugged with an innocent expression. "Fine. Just to warn you, I only know about this stuff from limited life experience, books, and movies. What's the problem?"

"He likes a girl who is already dating someone," Jerome answered for me.

Louise thought for a second. "Why don't you just tell her? It's best to get it out of the way. Besides, if she doesn't love you back then you can just wait or get over it," she said.

I took a deep breath. I didn't want help with this. Neither of them knew anything. I shouldn't have told Jerome anything. Being the person he is, he turned my problems into his business. But how could either of them understand? Both of them were straight; both of them were people who others actually wanted to spend time with; neither of them was in love with their best friend.

"Easier said than done. I know for a fact that s-she won't love me back. She'll start hating me, in fact. And then I won't get over it because everything will go downhill from there," I said. I almost said he and I ended up stuttering. That could've ended so badly.

"Why don't you just try? Mitch, you're so pessimistic that that probably won't happen," Jerome insisted.

I blew. And I regret what I said so much.

"Fine! You want to know who this person is and then you want me to tell said person! I will! It's you Jerome! I fell hopelessly in love with you!" I shouted. My eyes widened and I covered my mouth. I really just said that. I willingly told him _and_ Louise. I fucked up my whole life. So I did the natural thing, run out of the house and run to somewhere I'll never be found.

Since I didn't know my way around town, I ended up at Starbucks. I knew it probably wasn't a good idea to be in a public place, but it wasn't like I was close to anyone else who lived in New Jersey. I bought myself some juice and sat down. Luckily I brought my phone, so I decided to call Mat –someone I hoped would help me feel better.

"Hello?" Mat answered.

"Hey, Mat. Um… I-it's me, Mitch," I said.

"Hey Mitch… What's up? You're not one to stutter…" he greeted.

"I'm that see through?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Mat asked, confused.

"Forget what I said. I need help," I said.

"Okay, throw it at me," he responded.

"I just confessed to Jerome that I have a crush on him…" I quietly told him.

"You have a crush on Jerome?! I- Um… #Merome!" he said. I could tell that he was hesitant, but I had no idea why.

I felt a few tears slide down my face. "That's not it though. You can't forget about his _girlfriend_ Louise," I added.

"Oh my gosh, I forgot… Are you okay? What happened?" he asked. Mat could be a real jag sometimes, but underneath all that he was a very sympathetic and understanding person.

"I-I don't know. I left before either of them could say anything," I answered.

"'Either of them?' You told _both _of them? Judging on how you sound right now, it was bad enough that you told Jerome. But his girlfriend too?" Mat said.

"That doesn't make me feel better at all," I almost growled.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just… That's an amateur's mistake," he defended.

"Anyway, I'm at Starbucks right now. I don't really want to talk to Jerome or Louise right now, but at the same time I do. I need help," I continued.

"Mitch, Jerome is your best friend. I'm sure he'll find you. And not in a bad way. You guys just have to sort things out. I'm sure that J-Jerome l-loves you back," Mat said. I heard him sniffle a little.

"Mat? Is everything alright?" I asked.

"Y-yeah! I just- I have to go, bye!" he answered, and hung up.

Huh, weird. Mat wasn't acting completely normal. Wait. He acted the strangest when he was talking about me liking Jerome. That's weird, too. What was he not telling me?

"Mitch! There you are!" a voice said, a hand now on my shoulder.

I turned around and saw Jerome.

"Uh… Hey Jerome… Bye." I said quietly, standing up to leave.

Jerome pushed me back into the chair. "Before you go, let me explain. Louise and I broke up. And it wasn't because either of us were mad or anything. I'll tell you what she told me. A couple months after we started dating, apparently she noticed that you started acting different around me. She always figured that you like me, but after a while she noticed I started acting the same way around you. She was going to break up with me but she ended up not doing so because _I _didn't even notice my feelings toward you. We're both still friends, and I can tell that she's not depressed about her decision or anything," he explained.

"You… You like me back?" I thought aloud. That was the one thing that kept crossing my mind as he was explaining what happened.

"Now that I think about… yes," he said. A small smile spread across his face.

"So… It would be okay if you went on a date with me sometime?" I nervously asked.

"I would love to, Biggums," Jerome answered.

* * *

It was the second to last day before I had to go back to Canada. It was around 9 PM and I was watching a movie with Jerome right after Jerome, Louise and I all ate out together.

"Why is this part of the movie? Why do I _need_ to see Molly Ringwald put lipstick on using her boobs?" Jerome asked.

"Don't question the brilliance of John Hughes!" I answered, laughing.

"I already did. Take that!" Jerome said.

"Aw, you-" I said, getting cut off by my phone.

I looked at the screen and I saw that Rob was calling. I paused the movie and answered.

"M-Mitch?" Rob said.

"Yeah. Are you crying? What happened?" I asked.

"Something happened," he answered.

"Don't be so vague, Rob! Just tell me!" I insisted.

"It's M-Mat. He… He c-commit suicide," he finally said. He started full out sobbing.

Everything froze. One of my best friends was dead? How? Why? He was so happy and full of life. He can't be gone, that's just not how Mat is. Right?

"Mitch?" Rob asked.

"Y-yeah?" I answered, tears threatening to spill from my own eyes.

"That's not all. He bled to d-death… and the cuts that c-caused that spelled out your name," Rob finished.

My phone slipped out of my hands. I saw Jerome pick it up with a confused expression and start talking to Rob. My vision started to get blurry as warm streams of water flowed down my face. Mat is dead. And he's dead because of me. I saw hints before, but I always just shrugged them off. I always just thought that I was overthinking things, but in the end I really wasn't. Mat had a crush on me and commit suicide because I didn't love him back.

How ironic. If I never ended up telling Jerome, then it would be me in his place. And I never even noticed that he was in the same situation as me. But in all honesty, I didn't in the slightest like him back the same way.

I felt Jerome wrap his arms around me and start saying things. Everything was muffled, making me feel like I was underwater. From what I was able to hear I heard him say, "I'm sad too… It's not your fault… Sorry… I love you…"

I guess I didn't have to wait a million years. But I wish I could've waited for better timing. I love you too, Biggums.


End file.
